Taping machine



C. HESS TAPING MACHINE April 3, 1945.

Filed Sept. 25, 1941 2 Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR. M 4&1

ATTORNEY April 3, 1945. SS 2,372,780

TAPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

M BY W F I 6' 4, ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1945 TAPING- MACHINE Charles Hess, Yonkers, N. Y.,- assignor to S & S

Corrugated Paper Machinery Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 25, 1941, Serial No. 412,214

Claims.

My invention relates to devices for automatically taping the seams of paper boxes, cartons, or the like, and i particularly directed to mechanism for cutting the tape to the proper length.

In machines of the class described, it is preferable to deliver the tape to the carton seam in strips of definite length and to allow sumcient time between the delivery of each successive strip to permit the successive cartons to be brought into position to receive the tape.

In accordance with my present invention, I

provide a tape-feeding mechanism in conjunction with a novel tape-feeding device and cut-01f apparatus. Various types of cutting apparatus or tape feeding devices have heretofore been used. However, most of these devices have depended upon an intermittent non-rotary motion. That is, a shear or guillotine cutter was so arranged to be suddenly actuated at the moment the proper length of tape was fed and was held stationary at all other times.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a rotary knife for tape-cutting mechanism.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of intermittent driving means for the rotary knife in order that appropriate lengths of tape may be fed at the proper time.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of tape-cutting mechanism which will feed and cut the appropriate length of tape and apply the same.

These and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 isa general schematic view of one embodiment of my invention shown in perspective.

, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken respectively along lines 3 3 and 44 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the respective arrows.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 1, a control shaft i0 is rotated by pulley H and belt l2 from pulley i3 on driving shaft i4. A notched disc 20 with a pawl 2i, pivoted at 23 and heldagainst the disc on shaft 3| by means of key 30.

Shaft BI is fitted with bevel gear 50 which engages with bevel gear 32 of shaft 34. Through pulley 35 and belt 36, shaft 34 turns pulley 31 and shaft 38.

Rotation of shaft 38 'causes the rotation of feed pulley 40 and idler pulley 4| at a rate predetermined by the distance of the friction pinion 26 from the center of the friction pulley 25; the greater the distance. the greater the speed.

Thus the strip of tape 43 is fed from the roll of tape 42 at a constant rate. This rate of speed may be adjusted to suit the length of strips to be used by means of the handle having threaded end 5i engaging with the bearing nut 52. Nut 52 alters the center distance between pulleys 25 and 28 along the keyed parts of the shaft 3|.

After being unwound from roll 42 by the feed pulleys 43 and 4|, tape 43 passes between pulleys 44 and 45 which permit it to form a loop 46. Tape 43 then passes around guide pulley 63 and moistening roller 64 which rotates in a liquid container 65 and finally to the feed pulleys l0 and Ii.

Tape 43 is of a type well known in the art, preferably a paper strip having adhesive material on one side thereof.

Moistener 64-65 serves to wet th adhesive to permit the seam-joining action of the tape 43 in a manner well-known.

Pulleys'lii and H perform two functions, namely that of guiding the end of the tape to its proper position at the beginning of the seam to be taped, as well as that of feeding a predetermined length of tape to the seam prior'to its being cut off by the cutting apparatus hereinafter described.

Pulley 10 is an idler pulley. Pulley II on shaft 12 is rotated by pinion 13 which engages with rack 14. Rack 14 is moved in the direction of the arrow once on each revolution of the shaft in by means of cam 24 which is brought to bear against the cam follower 16. Spring 15 acts in a direction to oppose the rack motion due to cam 24. Shaft 12 is thus activated to move in an intermittent reciprocatory manner.

Reverse rotation of the feed pulley ill and Ii may be prevented by a ratchet incorporated within thepulley H, in a manner which is now well known, so that the direction of rotation of the pulley Il may be uni-directional. This may, as will be obvious, comprise a pawl ,on shaft 12 and a ratchet in the interior of pulley II (see Figure The length of tape which is to be fed for any box-sealing operation, may be predetermined by an adjustment including the handle I33.

The handle or member I00 may be moved in any suitable manner in order to cause the link I32 to rotate about the pin I33. For this purpose the handle I30 and the link I32 are interconnected'by a pin I3I.

The end m of the link member it: bears,

against the extension 134 of the rack". The position of the end I33 of the link I02 determines the extent to which the rack 14 will return under then the cam 24 will engage the cam follower 13 during its entire period of rotation and hence will serve to feed the longest possible length of tape which may be fed by the device.

Should the handle member I33 be so adjusted however as to permit the rack 14 to return only slightly under the influence of the spring It, then the cam 24 will contact the follower 10 only during a small portion of the revolution of the shaft I3 and consequently will feed a very short length of tape.

By appropriate adjustment between extremes, any desired length of tape may be fed-and cut, depending on the length of the box which is to be taped.

The cartons or boxes 33, 33 which are to be taped are fed in the direction indicated by the arrow by the upper side of belt 3|, the boxes 33 being spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to correspond to the desired length of tape and the other adjustments of the mecha- The boxes 33 may preferably be fed by a feed roller 03 mounted on shaft 33 which, at one end thereof, carries the gear 31 meshing with gear 33 which in turn is mounted on shaft I4, thus insuring that the feed of the boxes will be integrated with the speed of movement of the remainder of the mechanism.

likewise, belt 3I may be driven by gear connections or, any other suitable manner to ensure appropriate relationship between the speed of movement of the boxes and the taping operation. Pressure rollers 33, 35 may be utilized after the taping operation has been effected in order to press down the tape 43 'over the seam to which it has been applied. Y

The type of taping mechanism herein described corresponds quite closely to that set'forth in Patent No. 2,248,744, issued to the assignee of the present application,

The improvement in the present machine re sides in the manner of effecting the cut-oi! when a sufficient quantity of tape has been applied.

The tape 43, after it is fed between the rolls and 43 is fed by the feed rolls I0 and 'II between the blades ofthe cutting mechanism I20. It may then be captured beneath the feed roll 33 which, in Figure 1, is shown cutoff in order that the remainder of the apparatus be seen, but which is seen in full in Figure 5.

- As is seen in Fig. 5, the feed roll 03 has a complementary roll 33' which also cooperates in feedingtheboxes33. A

The cutter, as may be seen more particularly in Figure 5, consists preferably of a stationary knife blade I2I secured by bolts I22 to a block I23 which is mounted in any suitable manner on the frame of the machine.

The knife blade I2I may be adjusted in any suitable manner by adjusting screws I24 rotatable in threaded perforations in the block I23 and the adjusting screws I24 may'be locked in position by lock nuts I23.

The other knife blade I33 is secured in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by the bolts I3I. to the knife shaft I32.

Knife shaft I32 is driven by the rack I40 and pinion I which in turn are operated by the control shaft I0.

The rack I40 has a slot I42 thereinat each end of which a roller I43 and I44 is-positioned. The control shaft I0 extends through the slot I42 and a cam IE0 is mounted on the end' of the control shaft which projects through the opposite side of the slot I42.

Roller I43 of the rack member I43 is pressed tightly against the cam I30 by compression spring I52 which is mounted on the shaft I53 which is in turn an integral extension of the rack bar I40. The compression spring I52 is compressed between the bracket I 53 which is supported by the machine frame andthe end I33 of the rack bar I40. The rack is held against the pinion I by the idler I00 which bears against the opposite side thereof.

It will now be clear that. as control shaft I3 rotates thus causing a rotation of the cam I33,

the cam I will bear against the roller I43 and.

force the rack to move upwardly with respect to Fig. 1, thus rotating the pinion I.

As the limit of compression of the spring I52 is reached and hence asthe limit of movement of the rack I40 is reached, the roller I43 bearing against the cam, and the movement of the cam, permits the rack to be forced in the opposite direction.

' As the cam continues its rotation, it bears against the roller I44 which serves as an appropriate bearing in order to cause the rack to follow the movement of the cam I03.

By this means, an oscillatory movement of the rack I40. is obtained, the movement in one direction driving the shaft I32 of the cutting blade in order to effect a cutting of the tape and the movement in the opposite direction having-no result upon the shaft I32, but permitting the shaft to remain stationary.

Since the rack in is integrated with the control shaft I3 and hence with the remainder of the apparatus, any adjustment of the remainder of the apparatus will also result in an adjustment of the period of oscillation of the rack I43 and 00 hence in adlustment in the period of. cutting by the cuttingmechanismi23.

If desired, and as seen in Figure a ihe rack I43 may oscillate in slots I13, III of the-frame of the mechanism.

The pinion III is mounted on the .end of the aavavao I" thereof a ratchet member I 90 which i in the form of a cylindrical sleeve having'a securin! ring I9I which may be secured, as for instance, by the key member I92 to the end of shaft I32.

The ratchet member I90, as may be seen particularly in Figure 2, is a cylinder-which is thus secured to the end of shaft I32 and rotatable therewith. I

When the rack I40 is moved in such a manner as to cause the pinion IlI to rotate, shaft I80 is correspondingly rotated. The shaft I80 rotates in a direction indicated by the arrow of Figure 4 and the pawl members I8I will engage with the ratchet portion on the inner periphery of the ratchet cylinder I90 and hencewause a corresponding rotatiton of shaft I32 to cause a cutting rection thus rotating pinion MI and shaft I80;

likewise in the opposite direction, then the pawls I 8| will rotate in a clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 4 and they will not engage the ratchet member on the inner side of the ratchet cylinder I90 and hence no driving power will be communicated to the shaft I32.

As shown in Figure 4, the ratchet member may have 4 teeth 200. 200 so that the engagement of the pawls with the ratchet will occur at only a specific portion of the rotation of the respective shafts and so that when rotation of the member ceases the next rotative operation will again cornmence at a specfic angular position of the shaft I32.

In this manner the regular'rotation of the blade I of the cutting mechanism is ensured since the angular position at which rotation commences is fixed by the angular position of the teeth 200 of the inner periphery of the ratchet In order to prevent back-lash of the shaft I32 or any reverse movement thereof wh ch will throw the foregoin adjustment out of line, I provide a series of pawls 220, 220 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which are urged into position by their respective springs 22I, the said pawls being mounted on the collar 230 which in turn is aflixed to the frame at 23I in such a manner that the collar 230 cannot rotate.

Hence the shaft I32 which passe through the center of the collar 230 rotates therein and no rotative force whatever is communicated to any of the pawls 220' which are, therefore, stationary.

The ratchet member I90 has in the interior thereof at the points which mesh with the pawls 220, a ratchet having a plurality of teeth which engage with pawls 220.

The pawl and ratchet arrangement at this point is so arranged that rotation of the shaft I32 in the operative direction as previously descrii'rd, is not resisted, but any reverse rotation is immediately resisted by engagement of the teth 223 with the pawls 220.

In this manner, the movement in thi directon will cause an effective rotation of bait I32 to cause knife blade I30 to effect the cutting operation while a movement of the rack in the other direction cause no rotation of shaft I32 by reason of the fact that the pawls I9I rotate in a direction opposite to that which is necessary to cause their engagement with their respective ratchet members. I

Likewise, any rotative effect which may be communicated by friction in the reverse direction is resisted byv the pawls 220 which are stationarlly mounted to engage with the ratchet teeth 223.

Since the rack member is driven by the mechanism hereinbefore described and since it is driven in exact .synchronism therewith, the tape-cutting operation is performed at exactly the proper time in order to secure the proper length of tape for the specific box. The tape is measured off by the rack member 14 in conjunction with the cam 24 and the adjusting member I00 as previously described and the cutting operation takes place at the end of the tape-feeding operation.

Since the tape feeding'operation may commence at any point during the cycle, and for shorter tapes the tape-feeding operation is commenced late in the cycle, the fact that the cut ting operation takes place always at the end of the cycle permits a predetermination of the exact length of'the tape to be out.

By starting the tape feeding operation late in the cycle, a shorter length of tape is cut by the cutting mechanism I 20. When the tape-feeding In the foregoing I have described a simpletape-feeding and applying mechanism, together with a simp ified tape-cutting mechanism.

The tape-cutting mechanism may be mounted,

as is noted particularly in Fig. 2, by the brackets 250 on the side of the frame of the entire machine and may be integrated with the tape feeding and applying mechanism in order to cooperate appropriately therewith.

Many other adaptations of this preferred embodiment of my device should, now be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures herein, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cutting means comprising mounted on a shaft, a pinionoperatively connected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion, said operative connection 'between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperative to transmit rotative movement in the opposite direction; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft.

2. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively connected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion, said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperative to transmit rotative movement in the opposite direction; rneans'for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft, said operative connection comprising. a shaft carrying said pinion; a pawl and ratchet connection between said pinion shaft and said knife shaft.

3. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively cona knife blade nectedtosaidshaftandarackinengas ment with said, pinion, said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative 'nected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion, said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperative to transmit rotative movement in the opposite direction; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft, said operativeconnection comprising a shaft carrying said pinion; a pawl and ratchet connection between said pinion shaft and said knife shaft, the pawl being mounted on said knife shaft and the ratchet on the pinion shaft.

5. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively conaavanso ratchet connection between said knife shaft and astationary member.

7. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft. a pinion operatively connected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion. said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperative to transmit rotative movement in the opposite direction; means for driving said rack to drive saidknife shaft; and means for preventing rotation of said knife shaft in said opp site direction; said means comprising a ratchet on said knife shaft and a pawl mounted on a stationary member.

8. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively connected to said shaft and a rack in enga ement with said pinion, said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperanected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion, said operative connection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being inoperative to transmit rotative movement in the opp0-- site direction; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft; and means for preventing rotation of said knife shaft in said opposite direction. v

6. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively con- 40 nected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion, said operativeconnection between said pinion and shaft transmitting rotative movement to said shaft during rotation of said pinion in one direction and being'inoperativeto transmit rotative movement in .the opposite direction; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft; and means for prevent-' ing rotation of said knife shaft in said opposite direction; said means comprising a pawl and tive to transmit rotative movement in the opposite direction; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft; and means for preventing rotation of said knife shaft in said O p site direction; said means comprising a pawl on said knife shaft and a ratchet mounted on a stationary member.

9. A cutting means comprisin a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively connected to said shaft and a rack in engagement with said pinion; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft; said means comprising a cam mounted on a rotatable shaft, a cam follower on said rack, and a spring operatively connected to said rack and urging said cam follower against said rack.

10. A cutting means comprising a knife blade mounted on a shaft, a pinion operatively connected to said shaft and s. rack in engagement with said pinion; means for driving said rack to drive said knife shaft, said means comprising a rotatable control shaft, a slot in said rack, said shaft extending through said slot; a cam on said shaft, a cam follower on said rack and means urging said cam follower against said rack.

CHARLESHEBS. 

